LLU BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE CENTER
1. Target Overview & Investment Thesis
LLU BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE CENTER is a 89-bed safety-net/medicaid heavy in SAN BERNARDINO, CA with $39.8M in net patient revenue and a -51.0% operating margin. The hospital serves a payer mix of 4.4% Medicare, 27.5% Medicaid, and 68.1% commercial.
Thesis: Turnaround. Our ML models identify $2.9M in annual EBITDA improvement potential from RCM optimization across 5 levers, lifting margin from -51.0% to -43.7% (+736bps).
| Net Revenue HCRIS | $39.8M |
| Current EBITDA COMPUTED | $-20.3M |
| Operating Margin COMPUTED | -51.0% |
| Occupancy HCRIS | 69.3% |
| Revenue / Bed COMPUTED | $447K |
| Net-to-Gross HCRIS | 36.8% |
| Distress Probability ML | 50.3% |
2. Market Context & Competitive Position
CA has 414 Medicare-certified hospitals with a median operating margin of -4.9%. The target's margin of -51.0% places it below the state median. Among 165 size-comparable peers (44-178 beds), the median margin is -3.6%. The target's below-peer margin suggests operational improvement opportunity.
3. RCM Performance Analysis — Comparable Hospitals
Comps selected by bed count (44-178), prioritizing same-state peers. 165 hospitals in the comp set.
| Hospital | State | Beds | Revenue | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LLU BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE CENTE (Target) | CA | 89 | $39.8M | -51.0% |
| CHILDRENS HOSP & RES CNTR OAKL | CA | 155 | $687.9M | -7.1% |
| CONTRA COSTA REGIONAL MEDICAL | CA | 124 | $595.0M | -29.2% |
| RANCHO LOS AMIGOS NATL.REHAB.C | CA | 83 | $512.6M | 41.9% |
| CMH OF SAN BUENAVENTURA | CA | 170 | $498.5M | -7.6% |
| USC NORRIS CANCER HOSPITAL | CA | 60 | $468.7M | 19.1% |
| KFH - SANTA ROSA | CA | 172 | $458.9M | 0.4% |
| KFH - FRESNO | CA | 169 | $456.9M | 13.0% |
| KFH - ANTIOCH | CA | 144 | $445.4M | 8.1% |
4. Predicted Improvement Opportunities
Improvement targets set at P75 of comparable peers with 60% gap closure assumption. Coefficients calibrated to published research bands. Total EBITDA uplift: $2.9M (736bps margin improvement).
| Lever | Current | Target | EBITDA Impact | Margin | Ramp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Collection Rate | 93.5% | 97.0% | $836K | +210bp | 18mo |
| Cost to Collect | 4.5% | 2.5% | $796K | +200bp | 12mo |
| Denial Rate Reduction | 12.0% | 6.5% | $788K | +198bp | 12mo |
| A/R Days Reduction | 5200.0% | 3800.0% | $484K | +122bp | 9mo |
| Clean Claim Rate | 88.0% | 96.0% | $25K | +6bp | 6mo |
5. EBITDA Bridge
| Current EBITDA | $-20.3M |
| + RCM Uplift | +$2.9M |
| Pro Forma EBITDA | $-17.4M |
| Current Margin | -51.0% |
| Pro Forma Margin | -43.7% |
| WC Released (1x) | $1.5M |
6. Returns Analysis — Scenario Matrix
5-year hold, 5.5x leverage, 3% organic growth, 10%/yr debt paydown. Base case uses 100% of predicted RCM uplift. Bull case: 130% uplift at lower entry. Bear case: 50% uplift at higher entry.
| Scenario | Entry | Exit | Equity In | Equity Out | MOIC | IRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Case | 10.0x | 10.0x | $-31.2M | $-104.7M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Base (11x exit) | 10.0x | 11.0x | $-31.2M | $-125.3M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bull Case | 9.0x | 11.0x | $-28.1M | $-125.8M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bull (12x exit) | 9.0x | 12.0x | $-28.1M | $-145.5M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bear Case | 11.0x | 10.0x | $-34.4M | $-109.2M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
| Bear (11x exit) | 11.0x | 11.0x | $-34.4M | $-131.2M | 0.00x | -100.0% |
7. Key Risks & Mitigants
| Severity | Risk Factor | Mitigant |
|---|---|---|
| High | Negative operating margin | RCM uplift bridge shows clear path to profitability; working capital release provides near-term cash cushion |
| Medium | Elevated Medicaid exposure (27.5%) | Medicaid reimburses below cost in most states. Mitigant: denial reduction lever has highest impact on Medicaid claims |
| High | Elevated distress probability | Model estimates 50.3% probability of financial distress. Mitigant: distressed entry pricing (7-9x) compensates for risk |
8. Data Sources & Methodology Appendix
Data Sources
- CMS HCRIS Cost Reports (Medicare-certified hospitals)
- CMS Medicare Utilization (DRG-level volumes)
- CMS Chronic Conditions (county-level disease prevalence)
- HCRIS multi-year trend data (financial time series)
Comparable Selection
- 165 hospitals with 44-178 beds
- Same-state prioritization (n=166)
- Comp margins: P25=-18.4% / P50=-3.6% / P75=4.6%
Bridge Methodology
- Targets: P75 of comparable peers (60% gap closure)
- Denial: avoidable share = 35% of delta × NPR
- AR: bad debt coefficient = $0.65 per day per $1K NPR
- NCR: 60% coefficient on collection rate improvement
- CDI: 0.75% of Medicare revenue per 0.01 CMI point
Returns Assumptions
- Leverage: 5.5x entry (84.6% debt / 15.4% equity)
- Organic growth: 3% annual EBITDA growth
- Debt paydown: 10% of principal per year
- Hold period: 5 years
Generated by SeekingChartis on April 26, 2026. All predictions use public data only. Confidence intervals calibrated via split conformal prediction (90% coverage target). This memo is for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice.